


It was only some books, it was never just books

by Bablefishmouse



Category: Critical Role (Web Series)
Genre: Caleb's book obsession, First Kiss, Frumpkin - Freeform, Getting Together, Other
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-02
Updated: 2019-01-02
Packaged: 2019-10-03 01:52:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,107
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17274857
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bablefishmouse/pseuds/Bablefishmouse
Summary: When Mollymauk accidentally finds the strangest bookshop he can't help but be reminded of his favourite wizard.





	It was only some books, it was never just books

**Author's Note:**

> This was my Critical Role Holiday Exchange gift for Kingaiju on Tumblr.

All Molly had been looking for was a jeweller. The chains on his horns had never really been the same since the swamp and he’d been hoping to either get some replacements or at least give them a decent clean now that they were finally back in Zadash.

He’d asked around in the Pentamarket and had been pointed in this direction. But despite the fact that he’d been in Zadash longer than he’d ever been in any one place in his life, the city was also on the larger side, and he feared he might be slightly lost.

The street Molly found himself in wasn’t quite an alley in the same way that the Gentleman was not a crime boss. The law said one thing, reality another. But there was definitely a shop window barely visible in the shadow. Or else it was some very irregular architecture, because that window was jutting out significantly.

Not that Molly could see any light coming from it. In fact the large window below the black wood seemed to be entirely blocked up. The smaller window in the askew door to one side was clear, although still not showing a lot of light.

Molly peered in, noting that the window wasn’t actually unobstructed, there was a small sign at the bottom that he was pretty sure said open. He hoped it said open. The door was unlocked anyhow.

It wasn’t like he was going to take up a lot of their time, he was just asking for directions- that was all. A musty smell the like of which Molly had never yet smelt punched him in the face and Molly reminded himself of that as he moved inside the shop.  That was a lot.

But he was lost.

It wasn’t like the shop seemed dangerous, merely stinky. Which did remind him a little of Caleb, in a way.

There was an odd noise behind him and the door seemed to have shut itself completely. In fact, the door didn’t seem to exist anymore.

It wasn’t like the shop seemed that dangerous. And it wasn’t as if he had a choice any longer.

He reached for Summer Dance and was about to light it when a voice came from further in.

“There will be no need for that young sir, young ma’am? Young adventurer.”

“Young Adventurer,” Molly repeated, edging further into the shop with his blade still raised. “I like it. Who are you?”

“You came into my shop.”

“I was lost.”

“So surely your question should be: what is this shop?”

“Well, with the light levels…” Molly approached the desk, and on it the only source of light in the room. But it was the shop proprietor that caught his attention first, their sharp elven features made even starker by their bald head.

“Well, too much light is generally bad for the books.” They raised a slim hand and four globules of light made it abundantly clear that the shop extended far beyond what Molly had already seen, far beyond what he would have thought was possible from the outside dimensions of the shop. “Francis.”

“Mollymauk Tealeaf, Molly to my friends.”

“Lovely to meet you.” Francis said. “Any chance you’re in the market for a lot of books?”

“I know someone who might be.” Molly looked around at the stacks upon stacks of old tomes. All he had wanted to do was ask for direction to the jewellers. But…

He looked at the piles of books and couldn’t help but think of Caleb. Would Molly be able to find this store again? Most days of the week he wouldn’t have been prepared to bet on it, particularly given how Caleb would react to some of the books he was guessing were in here.  

Molly judged the amount of gold in his purse. “Actually,” he grinned. “Do you have anything old or arcane?”

“Wizard?”

“For one, yes.”

Francis grinned, no less terrifying to the average bystander, despite the lack of fangs, “I might have a few things, any school in particular?”

⁂

It was probably worth the gold, Molly considered as he carried his unreasonably heavily bags into the Leaky Tap. [PUB?]

“and then- MOLLY!” Jester yelled across the bar. “Molly will tell us.”

“What can I possibly help you charming ladies with?” Molly said as he lifted his bags onto the table in front of Beau and Jester.

Beau punched him.

“What’s in the bags?” Jester leant forward trying to peer inside. “Is it anything for me-eee?”

“I found the most bizarre old book store, so picked up a couple of bits for Caleb.”

“OOOOOOHHHHHHH!”

It was at that moment Molly realised that even that detail had been too much. Fortunately the looks that Jester had immediately gathered upon shrieking quickly dissipated.

“Tell. Me. Everything!”

“Well….” Molly drew the word out before stealing Beau’s drink and downing it in one.

“HEY!”

“I got lost, ended up in a book store and thought of him.”

“AWWW!”

“He’s always asking for books.” Molly shrugged, mostly trying to fend off the half-hearted blows Beau was directing at him. “Ow.”

“Buy me another one then.”

“Well of course unpleasant one.” He grinned, “As soon as you grow some pleasantries.”

THWACK

“Ow…”

“So! What did you get him?” Jester leant forward to try and see inside the bags again.

“Books that the person said would be good for an experienced Transmutation Wizard. One of them’s in Zemmnian apparently. Thought they’d help given he’s always looking for books and I’d never be able to find that dammed store again anyway. Do you know where he is?” He smiled.

Beau stared at him for a moment before grunting. “Upstairs. Don’t fuck this up. You fuck this up and I’ll fuck you up.”

“Already died once.” Molly grabbed his bags and winked before having to turn around to go up the stairs. He’d learnt his lesson about going up stairs backwards, the outcome was just embarrassing.

Locating Caleb’s room, on the other hand, was all too easy. Yet he stood there, not quite knocking. To say that the books were an entirely practical gift wasn’t entirely truthful. It wasn’t that there was something between him and Caleb. But it wasn’t exactly true to say that there wasn’t anything going on between them either.

Caleb was something, and he was something to Molly. The thing had started not long after the swamp, but the despite that, it was a long way from something to put a label on.  Molly thought so anyhow, it wasn’t like he’d had a lot of experience with this.

So here he was, standing outside a door, in a public inn, not quite ready to knock.

What was he waiting for? It’s not like anything was going to change the while he stood there. Well, someone might find him loitering in the hallway like an idiot.

Molly stepped up to the door, hefted his bags up, and knocked.

Then knocked again when it was clear that while Caleb may always want more books, he sure had enough of them to occupy his immediate attention.

“Ja?”

“It’s me.”

“Ja, okay, it’s open.”

Moment of truth. Not actual truth of course, never that, not even if Jester was around. But true enough. The moment of actuality.

Now he really was procrastinating, Molly told himself as he pushed the door open and stepped inside.

“Hi, I saw these and thought you’d want them.” He said as he noticed just how still Caleb was sitting. “You okay?”

“Ja.” The man didn’t move his head.

Molly leant the bags of books against the bed and sat down next to him on the floor. “You okay with this?”

“Ja.”

Carefully Molly leant their shoulders together and tried to match their breathing.

Eventually Caleb moved his head, turning to look at Molly. “Thank you.”

“No Problem.” Molly wanted to hug him. He had no idea what the issue had been, but he wanted to hug Caleb right now. He needed a hug, he was sure of it. But whether Caleb wanted a hug? He was equally sure that the answer to that was almost certainly not.

He settled for bumping their shoulders together once more before scrambling up and grabbing the bag. “Anyway, stuff.”

“Mollymauk,” Caleb said. “Danke.”

Not knowing what else to do Molly bent over and kissed his forehead before handing him the bags. “Yeah, so, I hope some of this stuff is useful, the person in the shop thought it might suit.”

Opening the first bag Caleb gave a sharp gasp. “How much did you spend?”

 “It’s a present.”

“Molly…” He stopped reaching.

“I insist.” He hesitated before turning for the door. He knew Caleb wouldn’t want him to stay.

“Stay.” Caleb finished his sentence halting Molly in his track. More out of surprise than any sort of compliance.

“If you wouldn’t mind?”

“Staying with you?” Molly turned and sat back down. “Mr Caleb, never.”

There was a moment when Caleb almost seemed like he was going to lean his head on Molly’s shoulder. Then he smiled, and began taking the books out of the bags one by one, reading the title and the contents page, and explaining to the thoroughly non-understanding Molly what each of these books would contain, and roughly what he expected to learn from each of them. Which at least served the purpose of ensuring that Molly understood that the books were very much appreciated.

“This is in Zemmnian.” Caleb held up a tome.

“It was a strange bookshop.” He said. “I didn’t think I could find it again.”

Caleb swallowed. “I suppose that was too much to hope for.” He opened the book and started to read, even the promise of future books in the bag seemingly forgotten as Molly could feel the wizard’s attention narrowing like Jester to a hug.

Molly smiled and watched for a short moment as Caleb’s mouth quirked upwards. Then he shuffled backwards as the man turned the first page. He shouldn’t linger. How had Caleb manged to get an ink stain near his eye? He itched to clean it off, but instead Molly swung a leg around to stand up again.

His other leg was promptly sat upon.

“Hi Frumpkin,” He murmured, scratching the cats ears and glancing back in the direction of Caleb. “Do you want to let me go?”

“Muph.” The cat ignored him and curled up in situ.

Hmm. Caleb didn’t seem to be controlling the being right now, but it would be rude to dislodge him wouldn’t it?

Molly replaced his unburdened knee on the floor and sat back, basking in the sunlight and entirely missing the smile Caleb shot him. He’d move in a minute. As soon as Frumpkin did. Just a minute…

Several hours later a loud and persistent knocking on the door awoke Mollymauk from what had been a surprisingly peaceful slumber.

“CALEB. MOLLY. YOU IN THERE?” Jester knocked again. “YOU’RE GONNA MISS DINNER!”

“ONE MOMENT MY DEAR.” Molly called as he sat up. “Ow.” His leg was dead. Actually both of them were, and suspiciously free of cat. “hi.”

“Ja, Hello.” Caleb said his voice warm.

“Fumpkin fell- I didn’t mean to…”

“Mister Mollymauk,” Caleb offered him a hand up. “That is quite alright.”

“Thank you, Mister Caleb.” He bowed slightly, ignoring the sudden pain that came from sleeping on his leg.

Caleb turned towards the door before turning back so that he was immediately in front of him. “Mister Mollymauk, thank you.”

Barely an inch between them, Molly looked down into Caleb’s eyes for an instant, “For you, anytime.”

A moment passed, then two. Neither of them moved, breathing the same air, waiting.

“If I’m reading this right,” Molly began hesitantly, “you’ll have to move first.”

Caleb reached out and placed his hand on Molly’s cheek. That was all the confirmation that he needed. Molly leant down and pressed their lips together.

Caleb’s other arm found the back of Molly’s neck and cupped it, running his finger gently over the scar lines.

They separated and Molly leaned their foreheads together. “I-“

“Ja.”

“CAY-LEB. MOL-LY.” Jester yelled again.

“Mister Mollymauk, I will look forward to having this discussion later, but I fear that if we don’t give in and go downstairs very shortly then Jester will rip the door off its hinges and find us.”

“Well that would result in a loud reaction.”

“Quite, imagine the squee-ing. So, later.”

“I look forward to it.” Molly said, not moving in the slightest.

“As shall I,” Caleb smiled, also not moving. Then he let his hands slip with a sigh. “Later.” He promised.

“Later.”

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, I hope you enjoyed, please let me know what you think, leave a comment and/or a Kudos.


End file.
